Mobile content delivery system

ABSTRACT

A mobile content delivery system that optimizes the delivery of especially bandwidth-consuming content (or the flow of any peak-hour data traffic) in a way that best utilizes the free capacity in the radio network, thus enabling considerably more efficient usage of the radio capacity. It also allows new services and pricing structures to be used in the cellular network, that otherwise would not be possible. The class of delivery of message content can be selected by the user on a transaction basis, or subscription-based and pre-defined in a user profile. By choosing a scheduled delivery the user can receive the content at a fraction of the price compared to instant delivery, since the content is sent at a time when the network is least utilized.

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.11/285,573 filed on Nov. 21, 2005 which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 09/944,443 filed Aug. 31, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No.6,996,393 and entitled “Mobile Content Delivery System”, which isincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to systems and methods for delivering mobilecontent over a wireless communications network.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Traditionally, the majority of data messages have been sent across radionetworks in real-time when the user requests them. This common practiceof “Deliver NOW” is utilized extensively in the growing area oftext-based message or voice services of cellular networks. The deliveryof data in real-time ignores the fact that wireless network data trafficis unevenly distributed. The maximum network capacity is dimensioned tomatch the network load peaks, thus leaving a lot of unused capacity inthe network. Typically, in a twenty-four hour day cycle (except for afew traffic peaks during office hours), more than half of the networkcapacity is unused.

Typical message delivery systems on wireless networks have sustainedthemselves due to strict adherence to a small file size requirement. Thecost of a wireless network delivering larger file size content such as avideo clip or an image file on demand would be prohibitively expensive,as well as time-consuming, to the end-user. Many current wirelessnetwork delivery systems have addressed the problem by adding additionalnetwork base stations and fine tuning coding techniques. These methodsonly lead to additional capacity without reducing the cost to send theactual data over the wireless network. If the sending device tries tosend a message and the recipient is not available (e.g. terminal isturned off) the service center continues to send messages so long it canreach the recipient device (the amount of time the service centerattempts to send the message can be limited to a pre-determined timewindow).

Therefore, there exists a need for a system and method whereby a usercould specify, using his or her wireless terminal device, whether amessage is to be delivered in real-time which will prevent the systemfrom managing present network load conditions while the message is beingdelivered, or to be time delayed to suit the existing demands on thewireless network.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a preferred embodiment of the invention there is provided a systemand method whereby a user who has requested content selects a class ofdelivery for the content from his or her wireless terminal device, suchas a cellular phone. The class of delivery of message content can beselected by the user on a transaction basis, or subscription-based andpre-defined in a user profile. The content is delivered as a message,which is preferably comprised of three parts: a message header (e.g. thesource and destination address, the identity and type of message, etc.);a message body, which is essentially the content; and a delivery classfield, identifying the class the user selected to deliver the messagecontent. The user can preferably select from at least two deliveryclasses: “deliver NOW” in real-time; or a specified “time delaydelivery”. A “time delay delivery” is referring to a pre-determined timewindow to deliver content, and can be further divided into classes basedon the defined delay. The “time delay delivery” class allows thewireless network to send the content at a time when the network is leastutilized.

In the preferred embodiment, a user's content request is sent to aContent/Service Provider which creates a content delivery message withthe requested information including the content and delivery class. TheContent/Service Provider relays the message to a Messaging TransportSystem (MTS) in charge of delivering the message to the user, ordirectly to the Mobile Content Delivery (MCD) system. The selected MCDSystem acts as the scheduled delivery engine that calculates thepre-determined time window the content delivery message is to be sent bynotifying the Messaging Transport System. The time window of delivery iscalculated preferably taking into account such information as thedelivery class, the wireless device location in the radio network, thewireless network usage and relative capacity (actual and historical),and the size of the content that can be delivered in the pre-determinedtime window. A short period before the content delivery message is to bedelivered, the wireless device location is determined, the actualnetwork load condition at the wireless device is determined and comparedto the historical information (the “load curve”). If conditions areright, the message is sent to the end-user's wireless device via thecellular network.

The present invention will introduce a mechanism that allows operatorsto provide new data services (especially high-volume content) cheaperwithout sacrificing their high-margin business, thus enabling moreservices, as well as attracting more users. The present inventionfurther allows data traffic on a wireless network to be more evenlydistributed over a twenty-four hour day cycle, thus actually increasingthe total network throughput, without having to upgrade the wirelessnetwork components. The present invention will provide users with newservices at a reduced price, directly to their wireless device.

Other and further aspects of the present invention will become apparentduring the course of the following description and by reference to theattached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a Mobile Content Delivery Wireless Network diagramillustrating one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a Mobile Content Delivery Wireless Network diagramillustrating another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a functional diagram illustrating the Mobile Content Deliverysystem according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of the Mobile Content Delivery processaccording to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of the Message Buffering and Scheduling Engineaccording to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating a generalized wireless network airinterface usage profile over a twenty-four hour period.

FIG. 7 illustrates the relative cost to deliver various services foreach delivery class.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of a wireless network of the presentinvention whereby an individual may use a hand-held wireless terminal 30(e.g., a cellular phone) enabled with a browser to view, select, andspecify a delivery class for a web-based content from a Content/ServiceProvider 13 via a data network such as the internet. In anotherembodiment the delivery class can automatically be selected for the userdepending on the destination address, the content type, the contentprovider, and the sender agreement with the operator accompanied bybilling information collected by the MCD system for each user. In thisembodiment, the Content/Service Provider 13 creates a message with bothuser selected content and delivery class, which it sends to a MessagingTransport System (MTS) 12, which analyzes wireless terminal capabilitiesand status, as well as is capable of delivering content message to thewireless terminal device 30. The MTS 12 acts as a gatekeeper of allcontent that is provided over the wireless network and also couldpossibly select the delivery class depending on the content or othernetwork parameters in one particular embodiment.

The MTS 12 transmits the message to a Mobile Content Delivery (MCD)system 11 describing an embodiment of the present invention. The MCDsystem 11 schedules a delivery time window of the content by analyzingthe delivery class, wireless device location, existing network activityloading and the content size while taking into account the agreed uponuser maximum delivery time. The MCD system 11 is provided with deliverytime window flexibility provided the end-user did not select “DeliverNOW” as the delivery class. The MCD system 11 also preferably tracksprevious message deliveries in order to properly predict and schedulefuture message deliveries at a more cost-effective network activity timewindow without surpassing the agreed upon user maximum delivery time.The Mobile Content Delivery system 11 will be discussed in detailhereinafter in connection with FIG. 3.

Moments before the pre-determined time window of delivery, MCD system 11returns the message content to the MTS 12. The MTS 12 relays a “Wake-Up”message to the Short Message System (SMS) 10, or an equivalent servicecenter, which in-turn sends a “Wake-Up” message to the wireless terminaldevice 30. The Short Message System 10 generates a short message andattaches a Quality of Service (QoS) parameter which adjusts the speed ofdelivery of content through the network. The SMS 10, like the MTS 12, isa well-known component of the wireless network. Once the scheduleddelivery time window has arrived, the content is delivered to theend-user at the wireless terminal device 30. In traditional cellularnetworks using less advanced terminal devices the content is fetched bythe terminal device 30 using information in the “Wake-Up” message, inadvanced networks the content is pushed to the wireless terminal devicefrom the network, in this embodiment by the MTS 12. FIG. 1 is asimplified illustration of the mobile content delivery wireless network.Variants of FIG. 1 can include transferring message content betweenmultiple MCD systems 11 as well as selecting delivery servers other thanMTS 12 to deliver content to the end-user. These variations can occurwhile being transparent to both the end-user user at wireless terminaldevice 30 and the Content Service Provider 13. A detailed description ofthese variations are described in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of a wireless network of the presentinvention whereby an individual having an agreement with an operatorallowing scheduled delivery may use a hand-held wireless terminal 30(e.g., a cellular phone) enabled with a browser to view and selectweb-based content from a Content/Service Provider 13 via a data networksuch as the internet. The MCD system 11 is provided with the capabilityof listening to all traffic, intercepting and re-directing it, as wellas being able to insert new data or modify existing data streams, whilebeing able to coordinate downloading content from the content/serviceprovider to the network. When the user with a hand-held wirelessterminal 30 selects some large content from the Content/Service Provider13, the MCD system 11 intercepts that traffic based on what has beenspecified for the user in the operator profile. The Content/ServiceProvider 13 service continues sending the large content, but it isstored in the MCD system 11 instead of being sent to the wirelessterminal device 30. At the same time, the MCD system 11 informs (e.g.with a specific web page) the wireless terminal device 30 that thedelivery is being scheduled, disconnects the terminal session andsimultaneously downloads the most recent content from theContent/Service Provider 13 to a Cellular Network 51. The MCD system 11schedules a delivery time window of the content using methods describedearlier, and once the scheduled delivery time window has arrived, thecontent is delivered to the end-user at the wireless terminal device 30using an existing push mechanism in the cellular network. In anotherpossible variation the MCD system 11 could deliver just the content linkaddress to wireless terminal 30, allowing for the actual content to bedownloaded at a later time to ensure the user receives the most currentavailable content.

FIG. 3 shows one implementation of the Mobile Content Delivery System 11of the present invention. Variants of FIG. 3 can include different delaymechanisms (selected by the user, specified by the Content Provider, orsubscription-based), as well as various transport mechanisms (throughthe MCD system, through another system in the network, using pull orpush depending on the wireless device capabilities). These variationscan occur while being transparent to the end-user user at wirelessterminal device 30. The components in this implementation shown in FIG.3 are: the MCD systems 11; a Cellular Network 51; which could becomprised of a Delivery Server 33, a Base Station System 32; and aMessage Buffering and Scheduling Engine 36. On a larger scale, FIG. 3can be part of a wide area network comprising many users and multiplebase stations to cover a large user region.

The end-user locates content he wishes to receive via a browsing screen31 on his wireless terminal device 30. On the screen, the end-userselects the content and the desired class of delivery. In this exampleimplementation the user selects a delivery class from three deliveryclasses: “Deliver Now”, for time critical data; “Specified Time Delay”delivery, for less critical data; or, “Overnight Delivery”, which is theleast expensive option. Alternatively, his delivery class may also beselected automatically as described earlier. (Note: Three classes oftime delivery are shown for illustrative purposes only, the MCD systemallows for numerous delivery classes and corresponding prices, set bythe operator.) The user browsing session goes over the wireless networkvia Base Station System 32, which in turn relays it to theContent/Service Provider 13 through a Layer 7 Switch 35 connection to adata network such as the Internet, Extranet, Intranet, LAN, or alternatenetworks. The Layer 7 switch 35 monitors messages for preset parametersto determine scheduled delivery.

The Content/Service Provider 13 creates a message based on receipt fromthe wireless terminal of addressing information such as: IP address ormobile phone number, default message server address, content request ID,and the class of delivery, which it then routes to the Message Bufferingand Scheduling Engine 36 of the selected MCD system 11 via the Layer 7switch 35. Depending on network data activity, the Layer 7 switch 35 mayre-direct the message content to another MCD system 11 with a lighternetwork server data activity load. Alternatively, if the chosentransport mechanism (in this example implementation the MTS 12) supportsusage of delivery class parameters, the Layer 7 switch 35 may re-directthe message content to a different MTS 12, which communicates with theMCD system 11.

The Message Buffering and Scheduling Engine 36 fetches wireless networkactivity updates and current cell user location from Cellular Network 51which it uses to schedule a time window to send the message to thewireless terminal device 30 based on the specified class of delivery,the user handset location, network capacity usage, and file size of thecontent. Once the pre-determined delivery time window has arrived, theselected Message Buffering and Scheduling Engine 36 sends there-directed message content to MTS 12 (reference FIG. 1). The MTSnotifies the SMS 10 (reference FIG. 1) to send a Wake-Up message to thewireless terminal device 30 via the Cellular Network 51. The MTS 12 actsa Delivery Server 33 and delivers the requested content to the wirelessterminal device 30 via the Cellular Network 51. In one embodiment, theMCD 11 can be the Delivery Server 33, in another some other transportmechanism is used as Delivery Server by the MCD. The present inventionallows the selection and re-direction of message content amongst variousMCD systems 11 to be transparent to both the Content Service Provider 13and the wireless terminal device 30 allowing for just one destinationaddress, as well as the option for wireless terminal device 30 havingthe capability of being the source of the content to be sent to thenetwork with the permission of the MCD system. In a preferred embodimentthe user receives message content to the terminal device 30 at a reducedprice, without having to wait for it to arrive over an active wirelessterminal session, making the experience a pleasant one.

FIG. 4 shows the functional logic flow of mobile content delivery inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In step 40, theuser browses content via the wireless terminal device 30. In steps 41and 42, the user orders content and can preferably choose fromUser-selected and Auto-Selected classes of delivery. User-selected,allows the user to select the class of delivery, “Deliver Now”, or timedelayed delivery as described earlier. Auto-Selected, is where apredetermined delivery class type is already established due to anexisting agreement between the operator or Content/Service Provider 13and the user in order to avoid high delivery cost, for instance; or,where the delivery class can possibly be linked to the content typeautomatically. (Note—The network operator and the content serviceprovider may or may not be the same entity.) In step 43, aContent/Service Provider 13 creates a content delivery message whichincludes the delivery class information in the message header. In step44, Content Provider 13 sends the message to the Message Buffering andScheduling Engine 36 of the selected MCD system 11 over Layer 7 switch35. The Layer 7 switch 35, monitors network data traffic and mayre-direct message content 50 to other MCD systems 11 under lighternetwork loads, or to other systems supporting MCD functionality, in step45. In step 46, the Message Buffering and Scheduling Engine 36 schedulesthe content delivery time window for the user and forwards the messagecontent 50 to the Messaging Transport System (MTS) 12. As the deliverytime window approaches, the MTS 12 notifies the Short Message System(SMS) 10 to send a “Wake-up” message to the wireless terminal device 30in step 47. In Step 48, the SMS 10 sends the “Wake-up” message towireless terminal device 30 via the Cellular Network 51. In Step 49, theMTS 12 forwards the message content 50 to the Delivery Server 33 via theCellular Network 51. In Step 50, the ordered message content 50 isdelivered to the wireless terminal device 30 via Delivery Server 33.

FIG. 5 shows details of a preferred embodiment of the Message Bufferingand Scheduling Engine 36 within the MCD system 11. It demonstrates themethod by which the Mobile Content Delivery System 11 schedules thedelivery of content based on a number of wireless network parameters. Inparticular, the details of the interaction between the Message Bufferingand Scheduling Engine 36 and other wireless network elements are shown.The L7 switch 35 receives the content delivery message 50 coming intothe mobile network, consisting of necessary parameters to trigger thescheduled delivery, such as the address of the service where the contentwas viewed and ordered, the destination address of the wireless terminaldevice 30 (or possibly a mobile phone number) to which the content is tobe delivered, the delivery class, and the body of the message, whichcontains the content to be delivered. The Layer 7 switch 35 monitorsmessages and other network traffic and forwards those message contentrequests that have a delayed class of delivery. Once an MCD system 11 isselected, the Layer 7 switch 35 forwards the message content the messageto the Message Buffering and Scheduling Engine 36 of the selected MobileContent Delivery System 11. The Layer 7 switch 35 may re-direct themessage content to another MCD (compatible) system 11 as mentionedearlier. Based on the delivery class, the Message Buffering andScheduling Engine 36 records the earliest allowed time for delivery, aswell as an expiration date in Block 52, that is used by the queue logicfor the specific message. Block 54 determines the priority of themessage in a Content Queue 55 based on the delivery time windowremaining.

In parallel with the content queuing activity, the Message Buffering andScheduling Engine 36 queries Cellular Network 51 in real time for thecell ID corresponding to the cell in which the wireless terminal device30 is currently located at Block 56. Cell activity records aremaintained in server database 57. The Message Buffering and SchedulingEngine 36 uses these records as well as on-line queries in determiningthe cell's capacity and usage in block 58. Off-line file transferregarding cell activity records can be gathered to server database 57from the cellular network 51. On-line queries regarding cell activitycan be done from the cellular network 51 at block 58. At decision block60, the Message Buffering and Scheduling Engine 36 assesses past andpresent cell capacity, current user location, content file size, andtime remaining to deliver content. If the decision block 60 determinesthat this is not an appropriate time window to deliver the messagecontent, the queue priority of the message is adjusted based on theabsolute time remaining to deliver the message content while taking intoaccount the time lapsed to reach the “NO SEND” decision. However, ifdecision block 60 determines that this an appropriate time window todeliver message content based on the aforementioned factors, the Layer 7switch 35 will designate a Delivery Server 33 selecting from a group ofservers available to deliver the message content at Block 61. At Block62, Deliver Server 33 delivers message content 50 to the wirelessterminal device 30. Many plausible variations of FIG. 5 exist based onchosen service and delivery mechanism, all parameterized in the MCD andtransparent to wireless terminal device 30 and the Content ServiceProvider 13.

FIG. 6 shows a generalized usage profile for a wireless network airinterface over a 24 hour day cycle within one territory. Actual usageprofiles can vary greatly from this illustration. The embodiment of thepresent invention delivers content via the wireless network taking intoaccount such usage profiles. Reference to the FIG. 6 shows that in themorning between the hours of approximately 7 AM and 10 AM and theafternoon between the hours of approximately 3 PM and 6 PM the wirelessnetwork experiences the heaviest usage traffic. It would thus be mostcostly to deliver content during these time periods, and should beavoided unless the message is time critical. Between the approximatehours of 10 AM and 3 PM the data traffic falls off to approximately50-55% capacity, down from a peak of approximately 80% capacity.Finally, the ideal time to deliver message content is either during theearly morning hours between midnight and 6 AM or the late evening hoursbetween 9 PM and midnight. During these time periods will likely presentthe most cost-effective time windows for scheduling delivery of contentdue to minimal network activity, which results in preserving the mostnetwork bandwidth. Again, FIG. 6 is a generalized illustration.Realistically, there can be many peaks and nulls in usage throughout thetwenty-four day cycle creating many cost-effective time windows ofopportunity for mobile operators to deliver content, e.g., 2:00 PM-2:15PM, without harming real-time wireless network traffic.

FIG. 7 illustrates some of the advantages provided to the serviceoperator due to the embodiments of the present invention. The curvedline represents a possible array of commercial services available on themarket today, spanning from voice and text-based messaging to real-timevideo. The small content file size usually found in messaging, voice orequivalent services at a relative cost factor of 1 to 100 units permegabyte (MB) allows service operators to deliver this type of contentessentially in real-time without suffering from cost spikes due tobandwidth limitations. Without the present invention, however,delivering content having large file sizes such as image files and MP3music audio files, in real time, would be difficult to manage due to thewireless network bandwidth constraints, especially during peak traffichours. In addition, the low retail cost per MB that the user couldreasonably be charged for such large transfers would make it almosteconomically unfeasible for service operators. The present inventionintroduces the option for the Time Delayed Delivery region where therelative cost factor “X” is reduced to a fraction of X. In this region,content with the file size of image and MP3 files now can be deliveredat a time when the wireless network has less demands for bandwidth whichreduces the overall cost of content delivery to the user. The inventionalso makes it possible to lower the current traffic peaks bydistributing the traffic over a longer time period. This time delayeddelivery makes it economically feasible for service operators to delivercontent in this spectrum of file size.

Finally, the third spectrum of content which demands the most networkbandwidth, is graphics-rich browsing and real-time video files. In theabsence of the present invention, the service operator could only chargea fraction per MB relative to what it could charge for messaging/voiceservices. Delivering this type of large file size message content in the“Deliver NOW” region would be cost prohibitive. The present inventionallows large file content messages to be time-delay delivered at apre-determined time window, taking advantage of low-load “time windows”in the network traffic loading profiles. The Overnight Delivery (e.g.,selecting a time window within 24 hours) option could result in a costfactor reduction to 2.5% of X relative to the “Deliver Now” region. Thesignificant reduction in cost to deliver high bandwidth content to theend-user will make delivering mobile services such as graphics-richbrowsing and real-time video economically feasible. The three timedelivery regions shown in FIG. 7 are for illustrative purposes only, andcan be defined by the operator or Content/Service Provider. A variationof FIG. 7 could include users tapping into other data network accessmechanisms (e.g. WLAN, DVB-T, Bluetooth etc.) through the MCD systemallowing system operators to bill the user in the same manner, accordingto content delivery timing requirements.

RAMIFICATIONS AND SCOPE

Although the description above contains many specifics, these are merelyprovided to illustrate the invention and should not be construed aslimitations of the invention's scope. Thus, it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be madein the system and processes of the present invention without departingfrom the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intendedthat the present invention cover its modifications and variationsprovided they come within the scope of the appended claims and theirequivalents. In this context, “equivalents” means each and everyimplementation for carrying out the functions in the claims, even if notexplicitly described herein.

1. A wireless terminal device capable of viewing, ordering, and specifying a class of delivery of a message content, wherein the content is ordered from said wireless terminal device, and wherein the content is delivered to the wireless terminal device. 